Rotherham United: Steve Evans grabs Farrend Rawson chance

Paul Davis

Steve Evans signed him when nobody had heard of him, and the Rotherham United manager never forgot the quality of the player who left the club a household name.

Farrend Rawson played only four matches in a loan spell for the Millers in their Championship survival season but impressed everyone who saw him play.

Farrend Rawson plays against Huddersfield

And when Evans went calling at Derby County for goalkeeper Kelle Roos earlier this week, he grabbed the opportunity to bring the young centre-half back to AESSEAL New York Stadium.

He talked the Rams into letting him have the 19-year-old on loan again, and Rawson, who hit the headlines when he unwittingly became the ineligible player the Millers fielded against Brighton last term, begins a six-month stay with today’s friendly at Greenock Morton in Scotland.

“He has been in my mind all throuugh the summer,” said Evans. “When we were talking to Derby about Kelle, I had a discussion with my chairman (Tony Stewart) and as a consequence of that we were able to ask the question about Young Faz as well.

“I’m delighted to have him here again. We know his standards, and we will develop him even further. There is no limit to what he can achieve.

“People thought I had lost the plot when I brought him in as an unknown last season and gave him his debut at Huddersfield.

“But I had travelled to Southampton during that week to watch him play for Derby Under-21s and I knew what I was getting.”

Meanwhile, Rotherham are ready to bring in some of their big guns today as they build towards August 8 Championship opening day.

The Millers kick off their tour of Scotland with a match against Morton and, after fielding several youngsters from their youth set-up in the Tuesday friendly at Alfreton Town, should welcome back plenty of their star men.

Some players have been carrying niggles and haven’t been risked in the three pre-season games so far, but Evans should have virtually a full squad to choose from this afternoon.

“It will be a step up in class against Morton,” Millers No 2 Paul Raynor acknowledged.

“The guys who were on the sidelines in midweek will all be involved. They’ve all done sessions. Your Joe Mattocks, your Manu Ledesmas, your Kirk Broadfoots, your Matt Derbyshires, your Aidy Whites hopefully will all be in action.

“You look at the quality of those and add it to the players who started the game, plus players like Paul Green who started on the bench, and it’s exciting.

“It won’t be the biggest squad but there will be a lot of quality in there.”

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